


Don't Worry, You Will

by etcetera_kit



Series: Broken [2]
Category: Super Sentai Series, 宇宙戦隊キュウレンジャー | Uchu Sentai Kyuranger
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Serious Injuries, Smut, Social Anxiety, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24560896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etcetera_kit/pseuds/etcetera_kit
Summary: Echidna and Scorpio knew their relationship wasn't easy, but throughout the years, they always knew they had each other... and Naga and Stinger. (A series of missing scenes.)
Relationships: Echidna/Scorpio (Kyuranger), Naga Ray/Stinger
Series: Broken [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775209
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	Don't Worry, You Will

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to yet another "between the scenes" work from me! This time from the Broken universe! Mostly Echidna and Scorpio focused, but some scenes do deal with Naga and Stinger. You should be able to tell from context where each scene takes place in the Broken timeline. Enjoy!

**Don’t Worry, You Will**

Naga walked into the house, slipping off his shoes and hanging up the reusable bag on one of the hooks in the front hall. The house was quiet, but that really wasn’t unusual when the baby was asleep. He went into the living room and smiled. Mika was asleep on Stinger’s shoulder and he was softly singing to her. He looked up when Naga entered, acknowledging him slightly before focusing on the baby. After a moment or two to make sure she was really asleep, Stinger gently transferred her into the bassinet in the living room. Naga had thought getting the more portable bassinet was silly, but now understood the utility of this. They could easily move the piece from room to room, and back to the nursery when needed. The baby monitor was portable and attached to the bassinet.

“How is Echidna?” Stinger asked softly.

That wasn’t the question Stinger wanted to ask. Naga could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes darted away. His entire body language screamed disapproval and that he was desperate to say _something_. Naga still felt tired and weak. Not as badly as a few weeks ago, but still needed time to rest and heal. His doctor had said he was progressing nicely and would start to feel more like himself into another month or so. He knew the only reason Stinger was holding back, and he was too tired to deal with dancing around one another.

“Ask what you want to ask,” Naga replied bluntly, lowering himself to the couch.

Stinger hesitated for a moment, before he blurted, “How much trouble did she get herself into?”

He exhaled harshly. “None.”

“Then why did you need to pick her up?”

“She just did some things she regrets and was a little disoriented. She wanted a friend.”

“What kind of drugs was she on?”

“She doesn’t do drugs and you know it,” Naga snapped back.

“Fine. How drunk was she?”

Naga fought the urge to roll his eyes, “She wasn’t.”

“Then why did you need to pick her up?”

He did not have patience for this right now, and just said, “Like you’re never done something you regret and want someone who cares about you there.”

“I’ve never asked my friend _who just had a baby_ to pick me up from a seedy hotel because I hooked up with someone and regretted it.”

“I had the baby three months ago and the doctor cleared me to drive a month ago.”

Stinger ignored that fact and continued with, “She’s taking advantage of you!”

“How? She calls me for something about twice a year. _I’m_ the one that reaches out to her the rest of the time.”

“Why?” Stinger shot back. “She clearly doesn’t want you to be her friend! She only calls you when she needs something!”

Naga stood up, voice calm and quiet when he said, “Maybe you’ve decided that you now give up on people. But I don’t.” He sighed. “I’m going to take a bath. Mika will want a bottle when she wakes up.”

Without glancing back, he walked into their bedroom. He waited until he was in the room with the door closed before he let a tear escape. And then another. Before he knew what was happening, he was softly sobbing to himself. He didn’t understand why Stinger couldn’t— _wouldn’t_ —be more sympathetic here. There were lots of opportunities for people to give up on Stinger over the years, but no one did. That was part of the reason they were here now. And people could have definitely given up on Naga, but Balance and Lucky, and hell, all of them, no one would give up on him. Coming back from Akenba gave him a second chance and inadvertently led to him getting closer to Stinger.

Well, he said he was going to take a bath, might as well actually do that.

He gathered some clean clothes and went into their bathroom. The oatmeal powder was still on the counter from the last time he took a bath, so he just set the controls for a temperature and height he wanted, added the powder and waited for the tub to fill. Once that process was done, he quickly undressed and sank down into the warm water. His phone was on the counter with his clothes. He knew Echidna would be asleep most of the day, but he still wanted to be available if she needed something else. He didn’t feel great about not taking her to a doctor, but she did know her own limits and he trusted her to know if she needed something more than painkillers and sleep. And he was going to see her tomorrow with some treats from the bakery she liked. Stinger could get over that.

Naga closed his eyes.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard the bathroom door open. Opening his eyes, he watched as Stinger slipped into the room, holding a mug and the baby monitor. He set the mug down on the edge of the tub. “I made you some tea,” he mumbled.

“Thank you,” Naga replied.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stinger,” he replied carefully. “Don’t apologize because you think that’s what I want to hear. I want you to understand why it is important to me that I keep in touch with Echidna.”

Stinger was silent. Good, he knew when he needed to listen.

“Remember how much of a mess you were after everything with Scorpio the first time?” He glanced over at Stinger, who looked a little uncomfortable. “You might not remember the details, but I remember never seeing you. I thought you’d be happy that he was gone and in cryo-freeze, but you were miserable. Then Champ or Kotaro would talk you into coming to dinner or playing a game with everyone. And you’d act like you didn’t care, but you would smile a little when people talked to you and included you. I didn’t really understand why that was such a big deal at the time, but Balance told me you were still sad and needed us to remind you that we’re your friends.” He paused. “After a while, you started coming to things on your own, knew that we cared and wanted you there.”

“I remember,” Stinger whispered.

“When I got back from everything with Akenba,” Naga continued. “I didn’t know what to do. I was ashamed and humiliated and felt guilty, and thought you all should leave me behind because I was a major liability, but at the same time, being left alone completely terrified me. I desperately wanted you all to be my friends, but was scared that you wouldn’t want me around anymore.”

“Naga—”

He held up a hand. “Let me finish.” He sighed. “Balance figured out that I didn’t want to be alone. With everything going on then, it wasn’t practical for him to be with me twenty-four hours a day, so he started figuring out people he could put me with until he was available again. I didn’t know that’s what he was doing at the time—he told me later. Everyone would be doing their work around the ship and I would help with what I could, and they would talk to me, but I still felt like this _burden_. Then Balance got you to hang out with me one night. We weren’t working and I had a bad morning, bad _day_ , and started crying.” Naga smiled a little. “You looked terrified when I started crying.”

“I didn’t know how to comfort you.”

“You figured it out though. You hugged me and said we should do something fun, as a distraction, stop thinking about all the heavy stuff going on.” Naga shrugged. “I didn’t know what that meant, but we went to the galley and you got snacks. You made popcorn and s’mores, and we went back to your room, and you put on one of the silly Circuit movies, and got out blankets and made the whole thing a movie night.”

Stinger actually smiled. “Kotaro introduced me to that concept. I figured you would like it.” He shook his head. “You ate three s’mores. I don’t think you even watched the movie—you were dozing in a sugar coma the whole time.”

He returned the smile. “I know. And I loved that night. I liked just doing something that wasn’t work or being a Kyuranger or dealing with Jark Matter, and I realized that I liked spending time with you. I thought you wouldn’t want to do that again. I was really scared to ask you if we could do more things like that in the future.”

“You did though.”

“I know, because I was willing to overcome being scared. I debated with myself and realized that the worst thing that would happen would be for you to tell me no.”

“I didn’t tell you no.”

“And I was really happy.” He paused, then asked, “Do you remember, right after we defeated Don Armage, and we were still on the Orion, and you went to the surface on Earth and came back with a bag full of chocolate bars? And I wanted to know what you were doing with that much chocolate, and you said you wanted to experiment and make different kinds of s’mores with different types of chocolate.”

Stinger grinned. “That was also Kotaro’s idea.”

Naga shrugged. “I really didn’t care. You knew I liked s’mores and found an idea for something that I would really enjoy. I was touched that you cared that much about me.”

“You also ended up in a sugar coma that night too.”

He smiled a little. “And you made me eat some protein, trying to stave off the stomachache.” He paused and added, “The stomachache happened anyways.” He looked at Stinger. “We kissed for the first time that night, and I realized I wanted to be more than friends with you that night. None of _this_ would have happened had you not taken the time with me that first night.”

“I know,” Stinger sighed.

“I know Echidna being in our lives is hard on you.” He let out a breath. “You didn’t mind helping her in the refugee center and didn’t mind helping her settle on Earth with the other refugees, but I know you don’t understand why I’ve continued to be friends with her. That’s simple. You remember how hard finding emotions was for me? How long that process took? How hard integrating into a society outside the Ophiuchus System was? And I did those things with a full support system—all of you supported me. Echidna doesn’t have that support system, and she’s too afraid to forge one. She needs a lifeline, someone she knows she can rely on, and I decided to be that person for her. I need you to respect that decision. You don’t have to like it, but I am asking that you respect it.”

“Why does she have sex with strangers every night if she really just needs friends?”

“Forming relationships is much harder than hooking up with people, and you know it.”

“Fine, you’re right.”

“Remember how hard it was for Scorpio to let us be a part of his life?”

“I know.”

“And you were patient with him?”

“He’s my brother!”

“Stinger, this is no different.”

“Scorpio doesn’t go party at bars and hook up with strangers,” he muttered.

“That you know of,” Naga retorted, “And besides, would it matter if he did? He’s your brother and you love him, and as long as he’s safe, why should his choices affect you?” He shook his head. “Besides, you had your own days of partying and doing things you shouldn’t.”

“That was long before you and I got together.”

“But you still did. Have some sympathy and some objectivity.”

Stinger sighed. “You never went through that phase.”

Naga smiled. “I found something I liked early on and stuck with it.” He gave Stinger a long look. He was starting to look a little guilty, which mean _some_ of this was getting through to him. “I’m not asking you to approve of Echidna’s lifestyle. I’m asking you to respect my friendship with her and to be sympathetic to what she’s going through. Can you do that?”

“Naga—”

“Can you do that?”

Stinger exhaled. “Yes, but if she ever hurts you—”

“Stop. She’s not going to hurt me.”

“I worry about you, Naga.”

“I know you do. But you can’t protect me all the time. We’re going to live our lives, raise our daughter and there’s going to be people we don’t understand why the other one likes. That’s all okay. We have to be okay with that.”

“I’ll try.”

“Good.” He sank down into the water a little. “Now, I’m going to get out of here in a minute. Can you make me a s’more with the caramel chocolate we have in the kitchen? Please?”

“Of course.”

He grabbed the tea and took a sip, now a warm, drinkable temperature.

“Thank you.”

“I love you, Naga. So much.”

“I love you too.”

Stinger quietly left the bathroom.

Naga sighed. He loved Stinger, was committed to their relationship and their family, raising Mika, growing old together. But nothing was easy. Balance warned him that relationships were hard and a lot of work, and was he sure he wanted to get into a long-term relationship with someone like _Stinger_? Champ had been similarly worried about Naga embarking on this. But Stinger had grown and changed throughout the years, and so had he. He just hoped that Stinger could get over this particular thing that seemed to stick with him and grate at him.

_Hope_. He laughed a little.

Maybe that was what got them through.

\------------------

“What did you want to do tonight?”

Scorpio smiled as Echidna came into the living room and sat down on the couch next to him, legs in his lap and arms around his shoulders. She leaned in, grabbing a quick kiss. She mulled over the question for a moment, before replying, “I’m thinking something a little different tonight.”

“Oh really,” he replied mildly. With Echidna different could mean lots of things. She could want something kind of kinky, involving a toy or position they rarely used. Or something else. Just when he thought she wasn’t going to come up with a new thing for them to try, she did.

“I want to do something for you,” she mused.

“That’s not necessary.”

She gave him a bored look. “Come on, you cook. You take care of me. You agreed to let me share my phone location with you because of all this stupid stuff my therapist wants me to try.”

“You did successfully go to the bakery by yourself and get sweet rolls.”

“The ones you make are better,” she muttered. He grinned, but she pressed on with, “I don’t even know why you hang around me. And—” she put a finger on his lips before he could answer and list the reasons he liked her so much. “—I want to show my appreciation.” She looked thoughtful, then commented, “And it’s also weird we haven’t done this before.”

“Done what?” he asked.

“Just come here and I’ll show you.”

She stood up and took his hand, leading him into the bedroom. Okay, she definitely had something planned if this wasn’t a thing they could do on the couch. He allowed her to lead him into the bedroom and sit him down on the edge of the bed. She was currently wearing a drapey black top with crisscross spaghetti straps. (He’d made her the top and figured she liked the piece, because she constantly wore the thing. She’d asked where he bought the clothing and he’d lied and said an indie boutique far out of her comfort zone.) No bra, but that was pretty standard for her, when she knew she wanted to get lucky and drive him insane. Something about knowing the only thing separating her chest from his touch was a flimsy piece of fabric that just got him _going_.

He had changed into more comfortable clothes upon getting to her place anyways—gray tank top and a pair of black lounge pants. She leaned over him on the bed, pulling the shirt up and off. He let her do that, smiling. He caught around her waist, pulling her in for a kiss. She went easily, hands cupping his face, meeting in an open-mouthed kiss that started out sweet, but ended completely _filthy_. Gods, she was insatiable in bed and he fucking loved that about her. She completely dominated the kiss, tongue rolling against his, teeth gently scraping his bottom lip as she broke the kiss. She was smiling as she moved away just a little. Hells, just one kiss and he was warm and semi-hard and ready for whatever the hell she had in mind tonight.

Echidna had one knee on the bed as she reached down, untying the waistband of his pants. “Just let me take care of you for once,” she murmured.

Then she dropped to her knees in front of him.

_Oh shit_.

Ice ran down his spine. He’d gone down on her plenty of times, but never really gave her the chance to return the favor. One of the things he hadn’t told Rebellion officials had been what went on behind the scenes in Jark Matter. In particular, things that happened to him that he never really reconciled, even after struggling through them—and continuing to work on them—with his therapist. While the entire experience seemed like a dream sometimes, these memories seemed even more remote, like a piece of a nightmare that he didn’t want to remember. Towards the end, when he had been facing off with Stinger on Earth, this other assassin joined him. Madako. She had a weird thing in her species where she regenerated, but got a new personality each time. Her last one had been in love with him, but also manipulative. She used _anything_ to get her way, but her favorite had been _this_. He knew Echidna wasn’t going to manipulate him, but _this_ tugged too close at those memories.

He took a deep breath. This was _Echidna_ , and he already knew she had a wicked tongue, and she would make this feel _fucking amazing_ , but still…

Her hand stopped on the waistband of his pants, realizing he wasn’t hard anymore.

“Scorpio?” she asked, sitting back on her heels, expression concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said quickly, standing up. “Just give me a minute,” and he went as quickly as he could into the other room.

_Fuck_. He scrubbed his hands over his face, staring out the living room window.

Never had anyone manipulate him with blowjobs before Madako and Jark Matter. He should have been pissed that things were tainted for him now. But he was really just tired. The memories came back at the worst times, reminding him that, no matter how good a life he’d built, he’d spent a year and a half doing terrible things—terrorizing his own brother. There was no coming back from this, from any of that. Just this dark shadow he had to deal with for the rest of his life.

Echidna quietly came into the living room and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, resting her cheek on his shoulder. He covered her arms with his own, glad to have her close.

“Want to talk about it?” she asked.

“Not really.”

“Jark Matter bullshit?”

“Yes.”

“That sucks.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would be a trigger for you.”

“Most guys wouldn’t say no,” he pointed out reasonably.

“You’re not most guys,” was the logical reply. He smiled a little as she continued, “I thought it was odd you always directed efforts somewhere else, but I figured you were being a gentleman, wanted to make sure both of us got off. That seemed like you. Although after four months, and you know I’m more than willing, just…” She trailed off and then said, “It’s okay, you know. We should do what we both want.”

“You’re amazing,” he whispered.

“I love you,” she murmured, and then said more clearly, “Let’s just relax tonight.”

“I think I just want to soak in the tub for a while and then go to bed.”

“Okay. I’ll go get it started.”

She squeezed his waist a little and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. When she released him, he gently caught her wrist and said, “Leave enough room in the tub for you too.”

She smirked a little. “Of course.”

He watched as she went back into the bedroom. Echidna knew he still had nightmares about Jark Matter—she’d woken him up from several. He didn’t tell her many of the details and she didn’t ask. She also didn’t say much about her life in the Ophiuchus System, and he figured that was her business. She’d share things went she felt ready. He already knew a fair bit about life there thanks for Naga, but also thanks to Naga, he knew Echidna was different. Ophiuchians usually retained enough reproductive organs of the other sex to fulfill both roles. Echidna was completely female. Granted, she still had the eye ability and tongue and venom like the others. She made a bland remark once about not being allowed to date or marry in the Ophiuchus System, and he could see why that led to her hook-ups for so long. He couldn’t really tell her the explicit details of anything he did with Jark Matter, because _he_ was still ashamed of them. Terrorized his own damn brother!

Stinger, his therapist, damn-near everyone said none of that mattered. He hadn’t been in control of his actions. Didn’t matter. He remembered _wanting_ to do those things and he couldn’t reconcile those wants with how he normally processed and thought. None of that was who he was, and yet…

“Scorpio?” Echidna called softly from the bedroom. “The bath is ready.”

“Coming,” he replied, walking into the bedroom.

“Hey,” Echidna said, catching his wrist. “Whatever happened with Jark Matter… I know it feels real, like you wanted to do whatever those things were. But I know you now. You’re not that person.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re also way hotter than any Jark Matter assholes I’ve seen.”

He smiled and let out a short laugh. A hint of a smile started across her face. She knew when to lighten a situation. She took his hand and tugged him into the bathroom. They got undressed and got into the tub. Echidna slipped in first and motioned to him to sit in front of her. He saw what she wanted—not sure where she picked up the skill, but she gave amazing backrubs. He got in the tub too, and sank down into the warm water. She wrapped one arm around his waist and the other around his shoulders, getting him to lean back against her. Which he did. She was cradling him and whatever she put in the water smelled and felt amazing. Gods, he might fall asleep here for a little bit.

“Scorpio?”

“Yeah, beautiful?”

“Can I try something?”

“Sure.”

Her hand ran down his chest, and he thought he knew what she had in mind. Those slim, talented fingers ran down his chest smoothly, into the water, continuing down his stomach and hips, where she gently squeezed him. He shivered, feeling himself respond to the attention. She pressed a kiss to his ear continuing to stroke him, from base to tip, getting him completely hard and ready to go. Not that that ever took much around her, but he was glad he was feeling relaxed enough for this to happen. She ran a finger across the tip, briefly pressing her nail there. He made an involuntary noise, one hand gripping the side of the tub. She then reached a little lower, hand cradling his balls, before she lightly grabbed and tugged just a little bit. Pleasure shot down his spine and he exhaled harshly.

His eyes had fluttered closed, but snapped open when her other hand went to his tail. She was rubbing the skin under the base, which she knew was sensitive and drove him nuts. But he could tell she was going to try something else tonight. Her fingers danced over the ridges, nails slipping in between and teasing at the sensitive spots. Not vulnerable enough to be an issue in combat or everyday life in the desert, but enough that he made a loud noise now, body shaking and hips moving involuntarily. Then her other hands continued lower from his balls, pressing firmly until—

“Echidna!” he ground out.

She circled him a little, before moving back up to his cock. She kissed his ear again. “Not tonight,” she whispered. “We need lube and you need to be way more relaxed. Just wanted to give you a preview.”

“Fucking hell,” he murmured.

She stroked his cock firmly again, but those fingers on his tail _didn’t fucking stop_. She was moving away from the base, dancing down to the middle of his tail. Then she tugged and pulled the stinger towards her. He had the actual stinger sheathed, but her fingers ran over the tip. He shivered again, pressing back against her, both hands gripping either side of the tub.

“I bet I could get my tongue _just right_ in these grooves,” she mused.

He knew she was talking about one of her snake tricks, where she could elongate her tongue into a snake’s tongue, and get those tips into tiny spots… like where her fingers were trying to go now. Gods, this woman! She kept up the pressure from her nails against his tail, and continued stroking him until he was completely undone and limp against her.

“Oh wow,” she was saying as he tried to get the roaring in his ears to go down. “Something came out of your tail too. Is that poison or—”

He blinked, taking a deep breath, analyzing what happened. “No, that’s not poison.”

“It’s semen.”

“No. It’s like a… discharge that happens sometimes.”

“That was the least sexy way you could have phrased that,” but she didn’t sound upset. She sounded intrigued and thoughtful. Then she said fervently, “I bet I could get you to come untouched just from getting my tongue around your tail.”

He laughed a little, feeling relaxed and boneless. “You probably could.”

“Keep the stinger sheathed and you could fuck me with your tail.”

He blinked and turned towards her just a little. “What?”

“You heard me. I already told you I wanted you to fuck me in the ass. You could do that, and then get your tail in my pussy, but you can position your tail so you also get my clit.” She shivered, wrapping her arms around him. “Fuck, that would be so _hot_.”

“I guess that frees up my hands to deal with your tits.”

She pinched his nipple lightly. “Fuck yeah, we’re doing this!” But she then rubbed his chest and said softly, “But not tonight. You still need some quiet.” She kissed his cheek. “You mind if I use the vibrator to get off before we go to bed?”

“You know I never mind that,” he replied. “But why don’t you let me finger fuck you or something?”

She smiled, maneuvering herself gracefully so she was no longer behind him, but more or less sitting in his lap. She started a deep, filthy kiss, teeth scraping his lower lip, before she smirked, saying, “See? You’re always such a gentleman.”

“It’s always better when someone else is involved.”

“You know what? You’re fucking right.”

Getting her off didn’t take long. He knew exactly how to tease her and touch to get the best—and fastest—reaction. She was already warmed up from what she did to him, so they made out, while he squeezed her breasts, flicking his thumb over her nipples, while his other hand was buried between her legs, thumb working her sweet spot while his fingers pounded into her. She came, slumping against him. After a few moments, she turned around so she could lean against his chest.

“Scorpio?”

“Yeah?”

“I know I wanted to take care of you tonight, but could you grab the lotion and put some on my tits? Please? It feels so good when you do it.”

“Anything, beautiful.”

He reached into the basket she had next to the tub and pulled out the fruit-scented lotion. He squeezed out a generous amount and rubbed the lotion into his palms a little, before gently rubbing the stuff into her breasts. She let out a pleased noise, letting her body weight slump against him. This was really such an easy, simple thing to do, and she fucking loved this.

The water started to grow tepid, so they got out of the tub and dried off. Not bothering to get dressed again, Scorpio let Echidna lead him into the bedroom and they got settled under the covers. Echidna snuggled up against his chest, hands on his tail, before wrapping his tail around her arm. He smiled. She’d never been afraid of his tail, and she loved that he could use his tail to hold her up during sex while his hands did other things. And now she had even more ideas. Gods, she was insatiable and gorgeous and he fucking loved her so much.

“I think I’m going to keep you around a while,” she mumbled, already half asleep.

“I think I’ll keep you too,” he replied.

\------------------

Echidna rushed into the hospital, heart pounding. She _hated_ hospitals and doctors, only went to either when necessary. (Her therapist and regular doctor both allowed virtual visits, which made her anxiety much better.) But _this_ … _fuck_.

One of the assistant managers at the grocery store called her. Said there’d been an accident in the warehouse. Something about one of the shelving units being damaged earlier in the week from a forklift incident and someone else didn’t know and tried to put pallets there or… _fuck_ , she didn’t know. Scorpio had been back there at the time with a few other employees and all except one had been taken to the hospital. They’d been dating over a year and a half, moved in together about three months ago. She was listed as his emergency contact at work, and his personal emergency contact. (Stinger was still on there too, just so a family member was involved.) She didn’t know if anyone had called Stinger, but figured she’d call him once she figured out what the _hell_ was going on.

She rushed to the front desk and gave her name and Scorpio’s. The nurse was impassive and polite, and reported that Scorpio was currently in a medical pod. The doctor would have more information after the initial treatment, which was when Scorpio would be moved to a room. In the meantime, she should take a seat in the waiting room.

“Is he going to be okay?”

“The doctor will talk to you after the treatment.”

“But—”

“We really won’t know anything until then.” The nurse gave her a long look. “Is there anyone you can call to come be with you?”

Several thoughts ran through her head, but she asked, “Why?”

“You just look like you could use someone else here.”

She didn’t have a response to that and turned to go sit down. Luckily, the waiting room was almost deserted, so she could pick a chair in the corner, away from everyone else. She pulled her knees to her chest, chewing on her thumbnail, watching every movement in and out of the waiting room. She rocked herself back and forth, wishing she had her bear. A tear rolled down her cheek. Not knowing was worse than knowing. How the hell was she just supposed to wait here?

“Echidna?”

She looked up. Stinger. _Shit_ , she’d forgotten to call him!

His eyes looked panicked, but he asked, “Have you heard anything yet?”

She shook her head, then asked, “Who—”

“The hospital called me. I assume the store called you.” She nodded. “Did they tell you anything?”

“Accident in the warehouse,” she croaked.

“Fuck,” Stinger swore softly. He sat down in the chair across from her. He scrubbed his hands over his face. “We’ll probably get a full breakdown of everything that happened.”

Echidna didn’t really want to know what happened. She wanted to know that Scorpio would be okay. Fucking hell, they should have gotten married already. She loved him, wanted to spend her life with him, they should just make this shit permanent. But no, she thought marriage was too establishment and their lives were fine now, especially now that he’d moved in. Their two-years anniversary of dating was coming up in three months. Scorpio cared about that kind of stuff. Echidna really didn’t, but he liked doing something so she went along. He got her a locket for their last one and she was trying to think of something he’d want that he wouldn’t buy for himself. Which was hard. He had all the fancy kitchen gadgets he wanted. He wasn’t one of those men completely into technology. He read, played games, like to workout or go running, really just lived a simple life. But he weirdly wasn’t boring. She didn’t know how all the contradictions came to be _him_. So she’d landed on a destination, but was still trying to pick. He’d like their beach vacation a few weeks ago and she was using that as a jumping off point.

This was _stupid_.

Why was she trying to think of an anniversary present when she didn’t even know if he was going to be alive?

Her throat burned with unshed tears. She didn’t want to cry in front of Stinger. She didn’t want to cry in front of anyone. But she couldn’t stop herself right now. So she compromised and buried her face in her arms to muffle the sobs.

“Echidna…”

But Stinger didn’t know what to say or do, so he shut-up.

She didn’t know how much time passed, but she stopped crying because she was tired.

Then a doctor came into the waiting room and called their names.

Echidna unfolded herself as quickly as possible and rushed over to the doctor, Stinger on her heels. “What’s going on?” she asked breathlessly. “Is he okay?”

“He’s going to be okay,” the doctor reassured her, “But this will be a process. He’ll need to be off work for a few weeks, lots of rest and very strict physical therapy. If he follows all the guidelines, he should make a full recovery.”

“Thank the gods,” Stinger muttered.

“The medical pod healed most of his injuries, but he’s still anemic. I’d like to do a blood transfusion.” The doctor looked at Stinger. “You’re his brother?”

“Yes.”

“As a family member and someone from the Scorpius System, you’d be compatible.”

“Absolutely, anything he needs.”

“I can help too,” Echidna said, voice wavering.

The doctor looked sympathetic. “I’m afraid you can’t in this case. You’re not the same species.” He looked at Stinger. “Follow me. We’ll draw blood, and then get him moved to a private room. You’ll both be able to see him then.”

Echidna slunk back to her chair. Tears started coming again. So she was so fucking useless she couldn’t even help him when he needed her? _Fuck_. He was going to be okay, she tried to repeat that knowledge. Everything would be okay. Planning a vacation wasn’t stupid. And after all this physical therapy and no work, he’d want a distraction. Right? She could go to the doctor’s appointments, make sure he followed all the guidelines. She was from the Ophiuchus System, she was good at following rules when she wanted to. She could help… she could… but his _brother_ was the one actually doing something to get him on the right track. That wasn’t about her, this was about biology.

Why did she feel like this was about her?

Because Stinger acted like he was okay with her, but she knew he didn’t like her and had just quit saying anything. Maybe in Stinger’s world that meant he accepted her, or maybe Echidna didn’t actually like him after all this time. Didn’t fucking matter. They had to put up with each other. Naga had told her lots of times that Stinger had gotten over his issues with her, but she didn’t know. Naga liked to play the peacemaker. But he’d also said that Stinger would remain difficult in person, because he had a hard time shifting his outward response to someone. Scorpio had said something similar. She just wanted to _help_ Scorpio and couldn’t.

“Echidna?”

She looked up. Naga had shown up. She blurted the first question that came to mind, “Who’s with Mika?”

Naga smiled. “My friend Hammie. She just got a teaching job on Earth.” He sat down next to her and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, Echidna. This is awful.”

“He’s going to be okay,” she mumbled.

“Good. Where’s Stinger?”

“Donating blood for him.”

Naga paused and she felt like he understood why she was upset. “You’ll get through this,” he finally said. “Doesn’t seem like it now, but you will.” He released her, keeping one arm around her. Then she noticed he brought a bag with him. He reached into the bag and pulled out her bear.

She snatched her bear and held the plush to her chest. “How’d you get in my apartment?”

“Did you forget you had me as the back-up when you first moved in? You never changed it.”

“Jerk,” she muttered.

Naga ignored the comment and said, “I brought your blanket too and some extra clothes. Let me know if you need anything else and I can go get it.” He paused, rubbing her shoulder. “Are you hungry? Want me to get you some food?”

She shook her head. Then she realized, “Shit, Scorpio’s going to be off work and resting for a while. How the hell am I going to feed him? He does practically all the cooking!”

Naga smiled. “You’ll figure things out. You know how to cook some things.”

“Yeah,” she grumbled. “Scones and pasta. We’re going to carb out.”

“Better than nothing.”

Echidna rested her head on Naga’s shoulder for a moment. “Why are you here?”

“Because I’m your friend. And because my husband’s brother is here.”

“Why are you my friend?”

“Because, believe it or not, I like you.”

“You have bad taste.”

But Naga was still smiling. “Maybe, but I do get to hang out with interesting people.”

Stinger came back in the waiting room. Naga stood up, and Echidna curled back up in the chair with her bear. She knew Naga was going to hug and kiss his husband, and she didn’t really want to watch them right now. “It was fine,” Stinger was saying to Naga. “Doctor says another half an hour or so and he’ll be in a room, and we can go see him.”

“Good,” Naga replied.

A tear rolled down Echidna’s cheek. Why did she feel like she didn’t belong here?

“Here.” She looked up. Stinger was standing in front her, holding out a drink bottle. She must have looked confused, because he clarified with, “The technician gave me two, and I really only need one, and I know you like this flavor.”

The bottle was a strawberry banana flavored juice that Echidna liked.

“How do you know I like that?”

Stinger looked exasperated. “Aniki told me. His store was out one day and he asked me to check the grocery store near the Rebellion training center because I was near there.”

She accepted the bottle of juice, watching him warily.

“I care about him too, you know.”

Echidna’s gaze snapped to Stinger as he sat down in the chair across from her. Naga sat back down next to her. She narrowed her eyes, grip tightening on the juice bottle and her bear.

“Look, this is going to suck, but I know you’ll make sure he follows all the guidelines and goes to physical therapy and whatever else he needs. But I do want to help some too. He’s my big brother. I thought I lost him forever. And then we got another chance. I want to be there for him.”

“I never had a sibling,” Echidna mumbled, and not sure why, but she added, “My parents weren’t allowed to after me.” She looked up. “What’s it like?”

“Having a sibling?” Stinger looked surprised. “It’s like having someone around who drives you insane and knows exactly how to annoy you, but you also love them fiercely and will do anything to protect them.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not the most objective person, but I do want Aniki to get through this. Just, what can we do to help?”

“Food.”

Stinger blinked. “Food?”

She nodded. “I can only cook scones and pasta.”

Naga laughed a little. “We can help with that.” He looked at Stinger. “You’ll make them some turkey soup, right?”

“Of course,” Stinger replied.

A nurse came out and told them Scorpio was in a room, and they could go see him. “He’s awake,” she added, “But won’t be for much longer. Try not to stress him out too much.”

Naga picked up the bag. Echidna followed the nurse, still clutching her bear and the juice. Stinger was right behind her with Naga. The room was dim when they entered, but Scorpio was clearly there. Echidna rushed over to the bed, crying again. Scorpio opened his eyes, and said softly, “Hey beautiful. I probably don’t look good right now.”

There was some visible bruising on his face, and he was still in an arm brace and a back brace. Logically, she knew that was so he didn’t reinjure the newly healed spots, but seeing him like this made her cry harder. “You look like shit,” she ground out.

“You should see the other guy.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Hi Stinger. Naga.”

“Aniki,” Stinger replied.

Echidna was kneeling on the floor, chin on the mattress as she looked at him.

Naga picked up a chair and brought the thing to her. “Echidna,” he said gently, “Don’t crouch on the floor for too long. Sit down.”

Scorpio nodded a little. She got herself in the chair, and Scorpio took her hand with his good one. She set her bear on the bed next to him. He smiled at the bear, but said, “You can’t leave the bear here. You’re going to need it too much.”

“I’m not leaving until you do.”

“Fine, but the bear has to stay with you.” He nodded at the juice. “You should drink that. I have a feeling you skipped lunch today.”

He was right, but her stomach was in knots.

The doctor finally came in and explained the situation to them. Scorpio had gotten clipped with one of the faulty shelving units, because he’d been directing others out of the way. He took the brunt on his left arm and upper back, also resulting in a nasty gash on the same arm. (Hence the blood transfusion.) The arm was healed and would be back to normal in a week or so. However, back injuries were always a cause for caution and concern. The medical pod healed the damage, but he had to be very careful how he moved for the next two weeks. They would recheck then and, if everything looked good, he’d be able to start physical therapy. But would not be released back to work for at least six weeks. If everything went well, he’d be able to expect a fully recovery. He’d be released from the hospital tomorrow with a painkiller regime and strict instructions.

As a last bit, the doctor added that one person could stay overnight with Scorpio. Echidna had been mentally prepared to fight Stinger if he insisted on staying, but he didn’t, and mildly told the doctor that Echidna would be staying.

After the doctor left, Naga said mildly, “I’ll go get some food. Anything you all want?”

Echidna shook her head tightly, stomach in knots.

Scorpio looked exhausted, but said, “Get her a vegetable roll, an avocado roll and some miso soup,” and then he named a local sushi place. She glowered at him a little. Of course he knew exactly what she would eat, even when she was stressed and didn’t want to.

“I’ll go with you,” Stinger said mildly. But that was a move to give them some privacy.

When they left, Scorpio said, “I’m sorry about all this.”

“Don’t be. It was a stupid accident.”

“Yeah, and now we’re going to have to do a shit ton of safety inspections and training, and the owner and district manager are going to be all over my ass.”

“Who fucking cares about that? You’re alive and need to get better.”

“They could fire me for this.”

Echidna shrugged, then teased, “Cool. I’ve never had a kept boy before.” He smiled a little, but then winced. “You need to rest,” she said softly.

But then there was a knock on the door.

Echidna turned and vaguely recognized the two people as the very same district manager and owner that Scorpio had just mentioned. The older lady, the owner, asked, “Can we come in?”

She looked at Scorpio and he nodded.

The district manager brought in a giant bouquet of flowers and a basket of food. “We just wanted to see how you’re doing,” the owner said. “Everyone else had minor injuries and have already gone home.”

“Good,” Scorpio murmured.

“The assistant manager figured out exactly what happened. And everything was a complete accident. She said you made sure everyone else got out first.”

“You’re a hero,” the district manager added.

Echidna blinked. Scorpio looked just as confused, but he was tired and in pain, and clearly had just decided to roll with this for now. They left after a few minutes and Scorpio promising to let them know when he had more concrete information from the doctors.

Once they were gone, Echidna muttered, “Now I don’t get a kept boy.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“It’s okay. I have other ways of keeping you around.”

“I know.” Then he added, “Please drink your juice.”

Naga and Stinger came back with dinner, and Scorpio managed to stay awake until they were done eating. They said their goodbyes, and Naga promised to be back in the morning with breakfast for Echidna and a change of clothes for Scorpio.

Scorpio fell asleep almost immediately.

Echidna stared at him as he slept, and held her bear tight.

He was going to be okay. She could do this. As long as she would still have Scorpio, she didn’t really fucking care what else happened.

\------------------

Echidna stood in the living room, not sure what to do. Naga was four months pregnant. She thought. She tried to mentally do some math. He’d been ten weeks along when he told them he was pregnant with baby number two, so that meant… fuck, why was she trying to figure _that_ out? Didn’t matter. She’d been with Naga at a coffee shop, and he’d suddenly felt sick and used the bathroom at the coffee shop. Still didn’t look good when he came out and said he needed to go home. And Echidna figured she’d better go with him, since he’d already mentioned Stinger was on a consulting job and Mika was at the care center.

And now, Naga was very clearly throwing his guts up in the bathroom and Echidna really had no idea if that was normal or not. She guessed so? Naga hadn’t seemed nearly as sick this time around with the new baby, so maybe she just assumed _none_ of the nasty stuff would happen?

She sent Scorpio a message, asking what she should do.

_Get him a towel and a glass of water_.

Towel and water. Okay, she could do that.

Where the fuck did these weirdos keep their towels? Would a kitchen towel work? She’d feel better around rummaging around their kitchen than whatever random closet might be where the extra bathroom towels were.

Then Scorpio followed up with useful information.

_Clean kitchen towels are in the drawer to the left of the oven. Get a water bottle from the fridge_.

Okay. That was helpful.

Her hands were shaking when she went into the kitchen, yanked open the correct drawer and extracted a towel that didn’t seem too decorative. The water bottles were front and center in the fridge, so that part was easy. She took a deep breath and walked through the living room into Naga’s and Stinger’s bedroom. Trying not to look around (because she was damned curious about what their _bedroom_ looked like), she went to the partially closed bathroom door.

Knocking a little, she asked, “Naga? Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” he replied weakly. “Just give me a minute.”

Echidna peeked into the bathroom. Naga was slumped over the toilet. She winced a little. Years as an assassin and seeing all kinds of death, and what would make her sympathetically sick? Someone else throwing up. She tried not to gag, knowing this wasn’t Naga’s fault. Breathing through her mouth, she stepped in and reached out, flushing the toilet and getting rid of the latest round of vomit. Without looking, she handed the towel in his direction.

She felt Naga grab the towel, and stepped back, setting the water down on the sink.

“Sorry,” Naga mumbled. “I’d been doing really well with the morning sickness, so I have no idea where _this_ came from.”

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know shit about pregnancy,” she muttered darkly.

“I think this is almost over,” Naga continued, ignoring her comment. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Echidna nodded and stepped out of the bathroom quickly.

In the living room, she wrapped her arms around her middle, trying not to cry. Naga had said this pregnancy was supposed to be easier, right? Then why was he still throwing up his guts in the middle of the day? She guessed he hadn’t really been able to go anywhere when he was pregnant with Mika, so actually making plans to go out was better, but still. He was putting himself through all this pain and ridiculousness just to bring a baby into the world. She wanted to think that this was all Stinger’s fault and he pressured Naga into another baby. But she knew he didn’t, and Naga wanted Mika and this new baby just as much, if not more, than Stinger.

She started crying anyways.

She didn’t know what to do to help and that made her crazy.

Even when Scorpio got hurt several months back, she knew how to help him. The rest and meds and making sure he had everything he needed within arm’s reach (and making sure he followed the doctor’s instructions)… all of that had been easy for her to figure out. Scorpio got grouchy about the restrictions, but he knew what he needed to do. (And reviewing the security camera footage the assistant manager sent him made him feel better—he had confirmation everything was an accident.) And she would bring him meds or food or drinks or whatever else he wanted, and she got really good about anticipating what he wanted. Even if what he wanted was for her to just sit with him for a while.

But Naga being spontaneously sick?

What the hell was she even supposed to do about that?

“Echidna, I—” But Naga stopped as he came out of the bedroom. He walked over to her and sat down next to her, pulling her into a hug. “Echidna, I’m _fine_. This is completely normal.”

“I don’t like seeing you sick,” she mumbled.

“Trust me, this isn’t _nearly_ as bad as things were with Mika.”

“You’re still throwing up.”

Naga released her, and a hint of a teasing smile was on his face. “You have literally threatened to kill my husband multiple times, and me throwing up is what gets to you?”

“I wasn’t actually going to kill Stinger,” she retorted.

“I know,” was the reply. “If you wanted him dead, he’d have been dead a long time ago.”

“Exactly.”

“Echidna,” Naga said with a sigh. “I know you’re scared for me, but this is normal. I’m sorry everything got cut short today.”

She sniffed, wiping her eyes on her sweater sleeve. “We could order lunch and eat here?”

Naga smiled. “I’d like that.”

Still trying to stop crying, she pulled her phone out of her purse, asking, “Anything in particular you want?” But Naga was still smiling. “What?” she prompted.

“Nothing,” he said with a small headshake. “Just wasn’t that long ago that you didn’t eat actual food and only drank those nutritional shakes. I didn’t think you’d ever get comfortable enough to start eating real food.”

“Scorpio fed me too much. Couldn’t go back.”

“He might have helped,” Naga replied softly. “But you actually wanted to change. Scorpio couldn’t have done anything unless _you_ actually wanted to.”

“Are you saying I wanted to all these years and just wouldn’t?”

“Not at all. I don’t think you wanted to for a long time.” He smiled. “Something about Scorpio coming into your life changed everything.”

“He didn’t want me to change,” she mumbled. “He just wanted me to be myself.”

But she knew Naga was right. Scorpio had an endless amount of patience, and he was fiercely loyal and protective. She sometimes wondered how he got to be that patient. He shared some of what he and Stinger went through as kids. Lost their parents early on (at least, early on for Stinger) and he spent his time raising his younger brother and protecting him from people who thought he wasn’t strong enough. He never explicitly said he beat up people in their village, but she was pretty sure he did. But then he went off to war, still trying to defend and protect. She guessed cryo-freeze and the whole unfreezing process made him patient. Like he knew he had to wait for things. And he should have given up on her a long time ago, but he didn’t.

“Stinger never gave up on him. So he doesn’t give up on others.” He smiled, “And he definitely doesn’t want people to change just to meet some random criteria.”

This conversation was getting way too feely and emotional, so she changed the subject with, “What do you want to eat?”

“How about some rice bowls?”

She nodded, pulling up the right restaurant. She put the order in, and said, “About thirty minutes.”

“Perfect,” Naga replied. He gave her an earnest look. “I promise I’m going to be fine.”

“You better be.” And she tacked on, “I’ll be mad if you’re not.”

Naga just smiled.

Fuck, she actually felt like she had a family now. She took a deep breath. She could do this. She could support Naga. She actually kind of liked his dumbass.

\------------------

_“I don’t want to tell them at a restaurant. Can’t we just feed them at home?”_

_“Sure, I can cook, but we’ve rarely had people over. Do we have enough plates?”_

_“We see other people and go out!”_

_“Yes, we do. That’s not what I’m saying. We just don’t host people for a meal.”_

_“If we don’t have four plates, I’ll go buy some.”_

_“These plates aren’t going to match, are they?”_

_“Matching plates are fucking boring.”_

Echidna felt like shit. She’d spent the morning throwing up while Scorpio checked on her and made sure the apartment was ready for guests. At lunch time, she’d only really been able to tolerate some bland crackers and a little bit of sparkling water. Her stomach felt tight, so Scorpio told her to lay down for a while, and she ended up sleeping until damn-near five in the evening. When Scorpio woke her up, her stomach still felt like crap, but now a headache was creeping in too. Fucking hell. She’d dragged herself into the shower, intending to dress nicely, but ended up throwing on a sports bra with a jersey sundress and her chunky cardigan.

Dinner was almost ready when she pulled herself into the kitchen.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help more,” she said softly.

Scorpio smiled as he put the finishing touches on the food. “It’s okay. You need to take care of yourself right now.”

She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I don’t want to tell them.”

“I know. But I think it’s time they know.”

She privately agreed, but was feeling so lousy that she wasn’t sure she could deal with their reactions—either of their reactions. They might surprise her, but she already had an idea of how this would go. Naga would be enthusiastic and over the moon, immediately trying to offer advice and congratulations and asking nosy questions. Hopefully Stinger had finally perfected his poker face, but he would be surprised and then probably direct a bunch of pushy questions at Scorpio while implying a bunch of shit about her. (Scorpio kept telling her that Stinger was fine, he’d gotten over whatever his issues were, but she couldn’t quite believe him.)

There was a knock on her apartment door. _Naga_.

Echidna swore. “I keep forgetting to take him off that,” she muttered.

Scorpio wiped his hands on a kitchen towel. “It’s going to be a moot point soon.”

“Don’t remind me.”

He opened the door and let Stinger and Naga in. They said their hellos and the requisite amount of hugging around those two happened. Scorpio motioned them to sit at the table as he put down a hot dish of lasagna. She liked his lasagna better than Stinger’s. Scorpio did half the pan with spinach and mushroom with cheese, and the other half with spicy sausage and tomato sauce. Her stomach was so fucking off she wouldn’t be able to handle the spicy sausage, which pissed her off. He also made a salad and a loaf of bread, half with garlic butter and half plain. And even the garlic butter was making her stomach turn. This fucking _sucked_.

Everyone got their food and Scorpio gave her a sidelong look.

“Fine,” she said with a sigh.

“We wanted to tell you something tonight,” Scorpio started.

Naga’s eyes lit up. “Echidna’s pregnant?”

She blinked, then spit out, “How the hell did you know?”

He shrugged. “You weren’t drinking anymore the other night, and your stomach has been bothering you a lot, and Scorpio keeps telling you to watch how much you carry, plus,” he nodded towards the kitchen counter, “those are prenatal vitamins.”

“Fuck,” she muttered.

“I told you so,” Naga told Stinger.

“Really?” Stinger asked them.

“Yes, really,” Scorpio confirmed.

“I didn’t know you wanted kids,” he said, and then added, “Well, I knew you wanted kids, Aniki, but I didn’t think Echidna wanted kids, and you said you would do what Echidna wanted, and then Naga was convinced you were pregnant and I didn’t believe that—”

“Stinger,” Scorpio interrupted gently. “Do you have a question in there?”

Stinger opened his mouth, closed his mouth, repeated the whole process, then finally said, “No, I don’t. This is great!”

Echidna was already pissed that she couldn’t eat the spicy sausage lasagna, and she really had no patience for dealing with Stinger and his damned inability to express his real feelings. “Just say whatever the fuck it is you were going to say,” Echidna snapped.

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Stinger muttered.

“Yes, you were!”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“You’re a shitty liar, you know that, right?”

“Okay,” Scorpio interrupted. “I think what Echidna is trying to say is that you’re taking this really well and we both expected you to have some… questions.”

Then Naga, ever the fucking peacemaker, piped up with, “How far along are you?”

“Twelve weeks,” she muttered.

He then asked when she was due and she named a date.

“That will make your baby almost exactly a year younger than Kaliya,” he commented.

“How long have you been thinking about having a baby?” Stinger asked slowly, as if he were choosing his words carefully.

Echidna knew she didn’t have an answer Stinger wanted to hear for _that_ , so she let Scorpio answer the question. Which he did with some diplomacy and omission. “For some time now, almost a year. We decided to start trying three months ago.” He left out that Echidna had been thinking about this for a year, and she sprung everything on Scorpio three months ago.

“Is that why you got married?”

Scorpio smiled, taking her hand. “It didn’t matter much, but I wanted to get married before we had a baby.”

“Makes a lot of stuff easier,” Echidna added.

“Are you going to move?”

“Yes,” Scorpio replied. “We’re looking at houses. Haven’t found anything we really like yet.”

“There’s a house one street over from ours that’s available!” Naga offered. “I know the people that live there and the floor plan is really nice. I can get you the realtor.”

“That would be good,” Scorpio agreed.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Stinger blurted.

Scorpio gave him a long look.

Then Echidna saw what Stinger’s hesitation here was about. He wasn’t necessarily worried that they would be bad parents or be unfit to have a kid—he knew his brother would be fine as a parent. (Hell, Scorpio raised him, he could raise a kid of his own.) And he weirdly didn’t seem to be worried that Echidna would abandon the baby and Scorpio. He’d finally gotten through his thick skull that she was loyal to Scorpio and wouldn’t hurt him. And he would be _hurt_ if she left him and their baby. Stinger’s problem was that they hadn’t thought through this situation entirely and their relationship would crack and suffer because they were not on the same page. The baby would put too much strain of them. And fuck, Echidna was worried about that herself, but had decided to be as prepared as she possibly could.

She squeezed Scorpio’s knee under the table to stop him from talking and defending her, defending _them_. He would. That’s how he was. But she just needed to speak up here.

“Yes,” she said softly.

“It all seems… sudden.”

“It is. A little bit.” She sighed. “I’m not going to give you the details about anything that happened to lead to this, but the timing turned out to be right for us. And I know you two think this might have something to do with the fact I wouldn’t have been allowed to have a baby in the Ophiuchus System or maybe I’m just doing this on an impulse. Which you’ve met me, so that’s a stupid assumption.” She sighed. “I never thought I’d get a family. I thought I’d be alone forever. And then you two said you were having a second baby and I didn’t get it, but I started to wonder if that was something _I_ wanted. And I realized I wanted to.” She looked at Scorpio. “With Scorpio. So you can think whatever the hell you want, but we’re doing this and I’m not going anywhere.”

Everyone was silent for a long, tense moment.

Then Stinger said, “Look, I’m happy for you. If this is really what you want, I’m all for it. And I want to help. We have a lot of clothes and things from Kaliya that you’re welcome to.”

Without thinking, Echidna said, “I am not dressing my kid in the clothes you put your kid in.”

“What’s wrong with my kid’s clothes?”

“She’s so… _precious_ and coordinated.”

“Oh, this is coming from the woman that pretty much wears black all the time.”

“Break it up,” Naga interrupted with a grin. “You can look through the things and take whatever you want. No pressure.”

She let Naga talk about a lot of the parenting groups and play groups that he helped coordinate (and that he took his own kids to.) She could tell Scorpio was only half-listening and Stinger just looked amused. Stinger was the one that dressed the kids and packed their lunches, while Naga was the one that was intent on them having a social life. Her stomach felt better, and she was finally able to eat some of the spinach and mushroom lasagna (and a little bit of the plain bread.)

Scorpio made dessert too. Mint chocolate brownies, which she loved (and her stomach was tolerating right now.)

Eventually, they said their goodnights.

Naga hugged her before they left. “Really, Echidna, anything you need. I’m there for you, and I want to help. Pregnancy is terrifying, so anything at all.”

She smiled as he released her. “I know,” she said softly. “I’m not even sure what all my questions are right now. Just trying not to throw up all the time.”

“That should get a little bit better soon.” He was still smiling. “You’ll make a great parent.”

“You really don’t know that.”

“I do. You remember life in the Ophiuchus System, and all the unnecessary restrictions they put on you, and you know what you like out here. I think you’ll be able to balance autonomy and having fun with staying safe and making good choices.”

“I don’t know how to take care of a baby,” she muttered.

“I happen to have a baby you can practice on.”

“She’s six months old!”

“Close enough.”

Echidna rolled her eyes. “Go home. I’ll message you tomorrow.”

One last hug, and Naga and Stinger were off. Scorpio drew her into his arms, kissing her softly. “That went okay,” he said.

“Yeah, your brother managed to not be a total ass.” She shook her head. “Now that I’ve eaten something, I feel better.”

Scorpio smiled, picking up her meaning. “You want me to strip in here or go in the bedroom?”

“Hmm, bedroom. I’m going to ride you.”

He grinned. “I’m looking forward to it!”

\------------------

“Echidna, what did you want to do with—” Scorpio stopped abruptly and rushed into the living room, grabbing the _empty_ basket from her. “You’re not supposed to be lifting things.”

Echidna glared at him. “That basket was fucking empty.”

She could see him cycle down from his initial reaction. He looked equal parts annoyed and embarrassed. Besides, _he_ had been the one that wanted to go through all their stuff before the move was official. They didn’t exactly have a ton of personal items, and Echidna wasn’t worried about space in the new house. Hell, they had to order new furniture for all the new rooms. So all this cleaning out was stupid, but she was going along because the house was important to him and this process was making him happy. And he did seem to spend all of his time lately taking care of her or the apartment.

“I know,” he finally said, “and I—”

“Just stop,” Echidna interrupted him. “I am not fucking stupid.”

“I know you’re not, I just—”

“You know what? I really don’t want to hear it right now.”

“Echidna…”

“Scorpio, just give me ten minutes and then we can talk about this.”

She knew he wanted to talk in that moment, apologize, whatever the hell he wanted to do, but she _hurt_ and she was _tired_ and his good intentions were grating on her. He would do really well for a while, then fall into some overprotective bullshit. She watched as he slowly left the living room and disappeared into the bedroom. Good. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts and be able to talk rationally to him about this. The other option was to grab the empty basket back and beat him to death. He would not enjoy death by basket. That was the difference between them. He was capable in a fight, had been a soldier, fiercely protected his little brother. All the assassin stuff had happened when he was brainwashed under Jark Matter. He was not inherently violent unless provoked, and that provocation had to be severe. _Nothing_ had gotten him that riled up in _years_. But Echidna? She’d been the assassin, fully cognizant of what she was doing. Now that she had emotions and recognized the value of life, she was ashamed about everything, but she still had that finely honed skill set and knee-jerk reactions still sometimes came out.

And besides, she’d heard her doctor multiple times with all restrictions. She let out a long breath. Too much bullshit was happening right now. She wanted to properly tease him for hiding all the sewing and crocheting or whatever from her, and she had plans to get him proper equipment. (Naga knew what Stinger had and she had looked for similar things.) And now that she knew, he had a bag of knitting that was visible and around the apartment. She felt like _that_ was a turning point in their relationship. Like they really weren’t hiding anything anymore. Not that they ever had. And now she couldn’t even enjoy this because she was still fighting his stupid overprotective bullshit.

She sat down on the couch.

This was so _stupid_.

“Hey,” he said softly, appearing from the bedroom. “Want me to get you anything?”

She tried to think of something that would get him out of the apartment for a while. And landed on, “Milk tea with bubbles,” because that place was furthest away and would require a transport.

He stared at her for a long moment, and she realized where she fucked up when he replied faintly, “But you don’t like milk tea.”

She swore.

“Look, if you want me to leave for a while, I will.”

Echidna sighed. “No, I don’t really want you to leave.” She patted the couch next to her. “Sit down.”

He complied, sitting down on the couch next to her.

She really did love his stupid ass. He was wearing black lounge pants and an old t-shirt from some promotion the grocery store did years ago. But he looked comfortable and still _hot_. She’d learned early on that he had a pretty rigorous exercise routine, developed from his time in the unfreezing program. He knew she understood her limits, but he just wanted to protect her.

“You can’t protect me from everything,” she started softly.

He looked uncomfortable, but just said, “I know. I just—”

“—didn’t think this would happen? Thought you’d never be a father?” she supplied. His slightly wrinkled nose meant she got that one. “I know you’re all into the miracle of childbirth and I’m carrying the most precious thing ever, and my job is to take care of the baby, but,” she gave him a pointed look, “I’m still me. I’m not some incubator for your baby.”

“I never said that!” he replied defensively.

“No,” she agreed. “You didn’t say that. But I’m not going to break and I’m not going to do anything stupid. So I need you to trust me.”

“I _do_ trust you.”

“Your actions need to match up.”

He seemed to be in a place where he was ready to listen, because he asked, “How?”

“Don’t assume. You know I won’t lift anything too heavy and if I underestimate something, I’ll call for you immediately and put the thing back down.” She reached out and took his hand. “You can’t put me in a bubble.”

He grabbed her hand, thumb running over her knuckles. “I’m so scared,” he admitted.

_That_ surprised her. “Of what?”

“Something happening to you… or the baby.” He shook his head. “At this point, I can’t stand the thought of losing either of you, and I don’t want to have to make that choice.”

“You _won’t_ ,” she emphasized.

“You don’t know that.”

“As the one currently carrying the parasite, I think I do.”

He looked at her, expression miserable. Fucking hell, he needed to stop trying to be stoic and strong and just tell her when he was this scared. She would have gone a lot easier on him. (Oh, still given him hell for being overprotective and gotten him to stop immediately, but a little bit nicer.) She pulled him into her arms, holding him close.

“Scorpio,” she said softly, rocking him a little. “I am _fine_. The baby is _healthy_. My doctor is completely pleased with my health and the baby’s. She says there’s nothing to worry about, but she did tell me what to look out for.”

“I know,” he mumbled.

“Then take a breath and try to be objective.”

He didn’t say anything, just returned the embrace. She let the silence fall. He really needed some quiet and some reassurance right now—how the hell had she not picked up on that? But she knew why, because she’d been too busy trying to keep him out of her business. Maybe she could work with that. Maybe there were things she could do so they’d be working together and not at odds.

After a long moment, she asked, “Can you show me the baby’s quilt?”

He pulled back a little, looking confused. “You want to see my progress on that?”

“Yes.” He looked surprised. “I give a shit about stuff you do.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“What we always do—therapy, boundaries and then fuck.”

“In that order?”

“Go get me some ice cream and we might fuck first.”

Scorpio smiled and got up, going into the kitchen. This wasn’t over, but Echidna felt a little bit better about where they were going.

\------------------

“Hey, can I ask you a personal question?”

Naga frowned. Echidna and Scorpio had moved into their neighborhood not too long ago, and Stinger wanted to have them over for a weekend cookout. Echidna hadn’t felt well and went to the bathroom. Scorpio and Stinger were handling the food, Mika was in the backyard, and Kaliya was in her swing, chewing on a teething ring. Naga took the moment of peace to start reading through a report Raptor sent over. Until Echidna came out of the bathroom and sat next to him on the couch with a familiar gleam in her eyes.

She was about to ask something inappropriate.

“You can,” he replied. “But I might not answer.”

“Okay.” Her eyes were wide. “Do you have a clit?”

“What?” he snapped back immediately.

“You heard me,” she continued. “How… developed is the female part?”

“Developed enough,” he muttered.

“So you do!”

“I didn’t say that!” was his half-hearted protest.

She shook her head. “You’re a terrible fucking liar.” She narrowed her eyes. “So you’re just telling me you let Stinger fuck you that way to get a baby? You got no pleasure out of it?” She snorted. “Our system might hate emotions, but they’re not _that_ cruel.”

Naga could feel himself flushing a little. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because,” was the eerily emphatic response, “if you do, you can be putting Stinger’s tail to better use.”

“If I tell you I don’t want to hear your weird sex story, will you stop?”

Echidna thought for a moment, then replied, “Probably not.”

“You need boundaries.”

“You need a husband who’s going to take care of you better in the bedroom.”

“Stinger does just fine!”

“ _Just fine_?” Echidna made a derisive noise. “He can do better than that!”

Naga rolled his eyes. When Echidna got on a tear like this, he found himself half-listening to whatever was coming out of her mouth. He knew she was freaked out by the house and the fact that the baby was now coming in less than three months. This was probably her small way of acting out—being lewd and trying to embarrass him or Stinger. (Scorpio wasn’t embarrassed and she’d given up trying to get a rise out of him in public years ago. Stinger was nowhere near that stoic. Funnily enough, Naga could remember a time when Stinger had been that stoic. Not anymore.)

She took the eye roll as permission to continue. “Okay,” she started. “Did you know their tails are really sensitive?”

“What?”

“I mean, like in between. You can get your tongue in there. Drives them nuts.”

Naga just stared at her.

“Trust me,” she continued. “You can make your husband come in his pants just from working his tail a little bit. Something might come out of his tail too.”

“Echidna—”

“Fine,” she said, tone long-suffering. “But just remember, they sheath the stinger, and you can get him to fuck you multiple ways at once.”

“Echidna, seriously—”

“Alright! I’m going!” She got up, and then tossed out, “But if you want details, you know where to find me!”

“I don’t think I want details on whatever that was.”

“Your loss.” She looked out the sliding glass door to the backyard. “Chicken?” she muttered to herself. “They didn’t tell me they were grilling chicken!” And then she was gone.

Naga sighed and tried to go back to the report, putting the conversation out of his mind. This wasn’t the first time Echidna had shared some random sex tip, and definitely wouldn’t be the last. He didn’t actually mind when she told him things like that. She _did not_ say those things to people in some of the social groups he dragged her to, so he recognized that was a sign she was comfortable with him. And she got graphic, but never too graphic. Besides, he would have firmly told her to stop if he minded and she would respect that boundary. Had to put up a token protest or she didn’t think this was fun anymore.

Put that stuff out of his mind and concentrate on the report.

Except he couldn’t.

Stinger only really used his tail to hold him up during sex. He’d never tried much more than running his hands over his tail. He wondered if Stinger would respond to something like that. He could extend his tongue and do all sorts of things.

And then using Stinger’s tail… for…

He flushed just thinking about that, but then started thinking about how he would enjoy that. Which way he might be comfortable with. How that would work…

That night, after they got the girls to sleep, Naga sat on the edge of their bed, deep in thought.

“What are you thinking about?”

He looked up as Stinger came into the room. “Nothing,” he said quickly.

“Didn’t seem like nothing,” was the mild response.

“I don’t know,” he started, then added, “I think I want to try something.”

Stinger grinned. “Okay. Let’s do that.”

“Baby monitor?”

“Yes, right there. Volume up.”

Naga stood up, wrapping his arms around Stinger’s shoulders and pulling him close. Stinger was smiling, eyes hooded, as he leaned in and started a soft kiss. He loved these kinds of kisses, so familiar and intimate and… really, a closeness he hadn’t thought he’d be able to have with anyone. He’d been so lost and so alone for a long time, and then Stinger came along with his s’mores and popcorn. Balance was his best friend and he loved Balance, but Stinger was the one he wanted to be intimate with, spend long lazy days with. A very different kind of love.

They broke apart to breath, and then Stinger caught him open-mouthed, deepening the kiss. Naga made a desperate noise into the kiss, pressing closer, images of what he wanted to do flashing before his eyes. He wanted Stinger _so_ badly.

He pulled away from the kiss, hands on the hem of Stinger’s shirt.

“Okay,” Stinger said warmly, backing up and removing his shirt. “Where do you want me?”

“On the bed,” Naga ground out. “Lay on your side.”

“You want me naked or—”

“Just get on the bed.”

Stinger grinned, winking, before he complied, laying down on their bed and adjusting to his side. Naga quickly removed his own shirt, tossing the garment somewhere on the floor. He put one knee on the bed behind Stinger, hands shaking as he reached out and gently stroked down his tail. His husband made a pleased noise, looking over his shoulder. “You going to tell me what you had in mind?”

“Let me show you.”

Naga got completely on the bed. He was painfully aware that he wasn’t in the best shape, especially after the second baby. Bouncing back was hard. Stinger never said anything and never would, and Naga appreciated that about him. Once Kaliya was a little more independent, he’d have more time. Just like when Mika got a little bit older. Why was he thinking of this now? He needed to concentrate. He reached out again, lightly holding Stinger’s tail and running his hand down the ridges, finally getting to the tip. He smoothed a thumb over the sheathed stinger. He watched as Stinger’s skin got warmer, a little bit pink and he shivered a little. Tongue, huh?

Leaning down, he flicked out his tongue, extending the tip and slipped inside a random ridge, moving until he found something sensitive. Stinger made a surprised noise and his hips jerked. Naga backed off immediately. “No,” Stinger gasped. “That was good. Keep doing that.”

Slowly, he ran both hands down Stinger’s tail and used his tongue to gently prod at the sensitive parts that only he could reach. The reaction Stinger was giving was absolutely _amazing_. He was flushed and needy, hips moving of their own accord. Naga’s own pants felt tight and hot, but he wanted to concentrate on his husband for now. He moved a hand up to the base of Stinger’s tail, thumb smoothing over the underside. Wrapping Stinger’s tail around his arm, he got the tip near his mouth and ran his tongue over the stinger. Which earned him a shout and a jolt. Stinger was _shaking_ at this point. Naga wasn’t sure how to wrap things up, other than to keep going.

So he did. Alternating between the ridges and the tip, one hand continuing to work the base of Stinger’s tail.

Stinger came with a shout, body limp as he collapsed on the bed.

Naga was _throbbing_ from all of this, wanted Stinger so badly.

He watched as Stinger turned to face him.

“What the hell was that?” Stinger muttered.

“No one ever do that to you before,” Naga asked mildly.

“No, and, _fuck_ , you made me come in my pants.” Stinger drew him close, kissing him sloppily and lazily. Naga smiled into the kiss. “You are so _hot_ ,” he muttered.

“That’s not all I want to do,” he said against Stinger’s lips.

Stinger pulled back just a little, looking surprised.

Naga smiled a little, reaching out to their nightstand drawer and pulling out the lube. Stinger’s eyes widened even more as he started to see what Naga had in mind. Naga sat back against the headboard, removing the rest of his clothing. He was hard and throbbing, and just needed to get this part done so he could try what he wanted. Stinger would be ready to go once he was prepped—he knew that much about his husband. He spread his legs, gently moving his hand down his chest until he got where he wanted. He got some lube on his fingers and started working himself open.

“ _Gods_ , Naga,” Stinger breathed.

The rest… Naga usually remembered their sexual encounters with crystal clear clarity. He loved remembering the tiny gestures, the feelings of pleasure, overwhelming into something bigger. But this. He was concentrating on himself, and saw Stinger get out of his pants and shorts from the corner of his eye. By the time he was prepped enough, Stinger drew him into his lap, whispering hotly against his skin, “How do you want this?”

But Naga showed him. He didn’t like the idea of Stinger’s tail going into places he considered more sensitive, so he got some lube on the end of Stinger’s tail and guided him to where he’d been prepping. Stinger got what he wanted and gently eased his tail in. The feel was much different, larger, not similar to his cock, and Naga made a noise as he got used to the feel and the additional stretch. This was definitely going to be a _sometimes_ thing. But Stinger got positioned well and soon started hitting his sweet spot. He wasn’t moving his tail as much as he did his cock, but that was okay. Naga grasped his cock and lined up in his lap, sinking down on top of him. That part was familiar, so _good_. But combined with all the sensations and the feeling from his tail… and…

He didn’t really have words. He felt full and close to breaking, like all of this was too much, but wouldn’t ever be enough. Everything was piling on him all at once and he wasn’t sure how to move or feel or do anything. Stinger kept up the regular rhythm, and his tail moved slowly, carefully.

Eventually, Naga came _hard_ , feeling loose and boneless as he collapsed into Stinger’s arms.

Stinger followed him over the edge shortly after.

They flopped onto the bed in a tangle of sweaty, sticky limbs. “Where did you even think of all this?” Stinger panted.

Naga got an arm over Stinger’s waist, pulling him close and snuggling against his chest. “Promise you won’t get mad if I tell you?” he mumbled.

Stinger snorted a little. “That means Echidna told you.”

“Are you mad?”

“No. Why would I be? It’s just weird thinking about my brother doing… whatever the hell he does with Echidna.” He let out a long breath. “But that was fucking amazing.”

“Hmm. Maybe I should get more ideas from her?”

Stinger laughed. Actually _laughed_. “Probably not a bad idea.”

Naga pulled back a little, staring at him. Stinger looked warm and relaxed, and not opposed to anything that Naga had just said. Felt like such a short time ago that he was constantly at odds with Echidna, but now he seemed to genuinely enjoy having her around and not bothered by anything she brought with her. Huh. His husband seemed to have gotten better, grown.

“What do you want?” Stinger asked him softly.

“A shower. And some ice cream.” He paused and then added, “Bring the baby monitor in the bathroom and turn it up. You’re showering with me.”

Stinger grinned.

Naga returned the smile, knowing this is what contentment felt like.

\------------------

Scorpio brought the new baby over to her hospital bed.

Echidna smiled a little bit. She glanced down at Misha, who was wide-eyed and watching as her father brought over the new baby. Misha was about to turn five, and started kindergarten with her cousin Kaliya. She’d gone to school that day and, according to Stinger, proudly told everyone that her new baby sister would be there when she got home. Naga had his new baby a few days earlier and was already home from the hospital. Both him and the baby were fine, and Naga kept promising to come by and see them (although Echidna just wanted him to stay home and rest.)

Misha snuggled against her side. Echidna wrapped an arm around her.

Scorpio sat on the edge of the bed, carefully holding the baby out.

“That’s my new sister?” Misha asked.

“Yes,” Scorpio replied.

“She’s really small,” was their five year old’s only comment, followed by, “And kind of red.”

Echidna laughed. “All newborns look like that. She’ll look different really soon.”

“I hope so,” Misha muttered. “What’s her name?”

Scorpio looked up and they exchanged a look. Apparently, even the second time around, picking a name for the baby was hard for them. They’d combed through relatives, friends, baby name sites, and nothing resonated with both of them.

“We don’t know yet,” Scorpio told Misha honestly, “but we’ll know by tomorrow.”

“I can name her for you?” Misha suggested.

They exchanged another look. Echidna kissed the top of her head. “What did you have in mind?”

“Princess Lucy!”

“Misha,” Scorpio said gently. “We are not naming your sister after a character in your favorite Circuit show.”

“It’s a good name,” Misha grumbled.

“We’ll tell you her name tomorrow,” Echidna emphasized.

Misha looked up at Echidna. “When are you and Tou-chan coming home?”

“Not until tomorrow, baby girl.”

“Do I have to go to school tomorrow?”

“Yes,” they both said in unison.

“But,” Scorpio added, “You get to have a sleepover with Kaliya tonight. Jii-chan will be here to pick you up in a little bit. He said he’s ordering pizza.”

“With green peppers?”

“Yes, he will get you pizza with green peppers.”

“Okay.”

Echidna looked at their new baby, cradled safely in Scorpio’s arms. This little girl was the exact opposite of Misha. While Misha had her silver hair and Scorpio’s tail, this little one had Scorpio’s hair and no tail. But unlike her sister, both her eyes were silver. She was sleeping peacefully. Echidna knew in a few days she’d be cute. Hybrid babies. Naga’s newest was also a hybrid baby. But this was their second and last. She and Scorpio talked about maybe having more, and never came to a conclusion. Eventually, they just realized two would be enough for them. Scorpio had an implant now too, so no further babies were happening.

But this… her _family_.

She couldn’t imagine life without them now.

Somehow, she actually felt ready for the future.

_I don’t want to find a reason to doubt you…_

Fin.  
24 May 2020 – 5 June 2020

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I was blown away by the overwhelmingly positive response to Broken in the first place! I truly appreciate you all sticking with me for this crazy idea I had, and then supporting this fic! Let me know if you are interested in seeing a proper multi-chapter follow-up set after the final scenes of both Broken and this piece! You can message me here or on tumblr.
> 
> But really... THANK YOU! Let me know you're out there! <3


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